Since the socialization of online culture, which came about with the creation of Web 2.0, online communities and networks have not only been developed, but have been recognized for their ability to efficiently connect users to one another as well as for their significant value in regard to their influence and population. As activism and social change movements have begun to find their place in online environments, it is met with varying responses which encourages users to Read more [...]
Abstract: In recent years Instagram has had an increasing presence in areas of politics and policy change which can be seen through movements such as #MeToo as well as the establishment of young female activists including Grace Tame and Greta Thunberg. Theorists including Palmer and Jung, have outlined how these movements and individuals have used Instagram and other social media for their own benefit, using it to further their agenda successfully. These movements and activists have Read more [...]
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the social change that has occurred and is continuing to occur as a result of online social media platforms such as TikTok. Offline activism is being fuelled by TikTok as millennials use the application to share unfiltered experiences from all over the world, creating a community of individuals who follow content based on their interests, resulting in social change.
Traditionally, governments have held a strong hold on media distribution to the Read more [...]
Abstract
This paper explores the presence of environmental activism on Instagram and how the platform is hindering grassroots conservation management. The neoliberal economic structure of Instagram is analysed to uncover how shallow forms of activism known as slacktivism promotes individuals’ performative identities more than promoting useful activism. This type of online engagement perpetuates the disconnect between individuals and their local environments, as described by the Albrecht’s Read more [...]
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Abstract
Social media apps such as Twitter are effective media through which to raise awareness of social justice issues, the environmental crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement providing two contemporary examples of online activism. This research paper argues that this raised awareness does not translates into real political change as Twitter et al foster ‘thin communities’ that are as easily dispersed as they are formed, and create the illusion that awareness equates Read more [...]